The first half of the season is now set. With a view to the second half of
the season, what did you like in the first half of the season and what
needs to get better?
“We are happy that we are at the top of the table and we have to continue
this run, but we also know that we can play better than we did in some
games.”

Leverkusen, Dortmund, Leipzig – so many different teams are surrounding
you or let’s say are closely behind you. Who’s your biggest rival at the
moment and why?
“At the moment, it is RB Leipzig. They are second in the table and I think
they play really well. They concede less goals and always score more
goals than their opponents, so they win their games – not always clearly
but the same as us, winning 1:0. Ok not the same, we are not winning
1:0, we’re winning 3:2 because we concede more goals than RB Leipzig,
but at the moment they are really consistent and win their games, so they
are our biggest rivals at the moment.”

Everybody remembers your championship-winning goal last season vs.
Dortmund, and you are obviously one or the main “go-to guy” in your
team for such moments. Where does this winning mentality, this pure will
to win come from?
“I don’t know. I had this since I was a little kid, not only in football but
also in other sports or games, I always try to win because then it is more
fun for me and so this character developed. But I don’t know where it
began.”

How did this winning mentality develop over the years, since you started
to play football as a small kid to now?
“There was no special moment, I think I had the same mentality 10 years
ago. So, there was not a special moment when I changed my mind or
anything like that. I think that I always wanted to lead, also in my youth,
and now I have to keep going.”

You recently returned from your knee injury. If you had to say it in a
percentage, where is your performance level right now? How did you as a
leader create a positive impact on the team during your time off the pitch?
“Yeah, it’s difficult. When you’re injured, you’re a bit isolated from the
team but I try to speak to my teammates. Sometimes I write something
in our chat. You’re a bit separated from the team, but I always try to stay
in touch with them. At first, I had to focus on my recovery, to help the
team again, because from the couch it’s not that easy to help.”

Alphonso Davies, Robert Lewandowski and yourself made it into the
FIFPro World 11. Besides that, many experts call you world class in
offense and defence. However, you are well-known to be very ambitious.
Where do you see any potential to get even better than you are right
now? Where do you still want to improve?
“Yeah, in every point in the way I play, I can improve. I can score more
often, win more balls in midfield to help my team. I think, I can also
improve in my physical strength; my development is not over yet.”

Robert Lewandowski set a new record for number of goals within the first
half of the season. What do you think, is it possible for him to break the
record of 40 goals from Gerd Müller?
“The most important thing is that he stays fit and then it’s possible for him
to beat this record. I hope he will always score twice or once a game
because it’s also good for the team and I hope he will beat him.”

In midfield, there’s another great talent really showing these days: Jamal
Musiala. How do you judge his development so far and what is he capable
of in the future?
“Jamal is amazing for his age. He has really good control with the ball and
he has a clear mind. He is always positively minded, he tries to learn from
us when he comes in. He always plays well, he keeps the ball, has great
dribbles. I think he has scored three goals, or two goals by now, and you
see his potential. When he will play more often, he’ll develop and get
better and better. I hope we, and especially me, can help him become a
great player for Bayern Munich.”

Can you explain what went through your head during one of your best
performances in the first game of this season against Schalke, when you
gave that nice assist to Leroy Sane?
“Here in the first action, I just tried to keep the ball, not to lose the ball. It
was not easy because there were two opponents, but I was a bit lucky and
afterwards I could see the space in front of me. I looked around, saw
nobody was coming behind me, so I had the time to see Leroy and play
the assist for him.”

Is it difficult to stay clear and focused when there is so much action
around you?
“When you are not that fast with your body, you have to be fast in your
mind and one of these two points has to be fast and I think I’m faster in
my mind than with my body.”

What went through your head before your important and artistic goal
against Dortmund?
“I won the ball in the midfield. I know that as a central midfielder, it is not
easy to get the ball in this situation, like Delaney there, but I could win it
and maybe I passed too early for Robert, so he couldn’t score and had to
pass back. I controlled the ball with my right foot, maybe it would have
been better to control with the left as it’s easier to score with the right
foot. I didn’t do well in this situation, but I had a really quick reaction for
the second ball, so luckily I could score afterwards, but it was just a quick
reaction.”

When does your thinking stop in situations like that chip goal of yours
versus Dortmund? When the ball is in the net?
“I saw the ball flying over the goalkeeper, so I hoped that it would fly into
the goal and not over the goal. As soon as my teammates were
screaming, I knew that it is in.”

Soon after the Bundesliga season you will meet some of your Bayern
teammates again, facing them in the European Championships. There will
be a very early duel between Germany and France. Did you already chat
about that in the locker room or maybe right after the draw? Do you look
forward to it?
“Yeah, of course, after the draw and on some other occasions we speak
about it in the locker room. There are a few months to go, so it’s still in
the future. It will be a big challenge for both teams, because for both
teams it’s a strong opponent in the first game.”

How can we imagine those chats? Is there a lot of teasing?
“It’s fun, talking around and trying to make a bit of fun, not that serious.”

It’s your chance to lift a trophy you haven’t won before. How do you judge
the chances for the German squad in having this tough group in the group
stage in mind?
“Really tough group. It’s not easy to go through this group, but of course
it is our goal. To win the games, we know that we have a lot of work in
front of us, because the last games were not that good. We know that we
have to improve, and we have to play better. We try to and then we’ll see.
I think we have the quality to go to the next round.”

For the first time, you will be recognized as one of the leading players in
the German squad. How do you define or interpret this role in the DFB
jersey?
“Yeah, of course it’s a bit different because here in Bayern Munich you’re
with the teammates every day and with the national team, the squad
always changes a bit. Here you have one year or half a year with the
same squad, the same teammates, so the national team is a bit harder to
find your role in the team, especially for the new players. So, it’s a bit
different to lead, because the players sometimes change.”

Before the European Championships you’ll be honoured with a wax figure
in Berlin. You were voted by the fans. Is it a special honour for you?
“It’s always special when you’re voted by the fans. Then you know there
are some people out there who like you and it’s a nice feeling. I’m
honoured by this.”

It is a sporty pose with a ball. What would the private wax figure look like
if you could decide?

“If there would be a private one, I hope that it will not be public, but I
think it would be with my kids, on the couch with my girlfriend.”

What are you looking forward to the most after the pandemic?
“I think everybody hopes there will be a life after Corona, to go out to the
city, to see the people smiling, to go to the restaurant or the café. Also,
when the kids can go the ‘Kita’ as we call it in German (childcare), that
will be good for the parents. Then it’s a bit quieter at home and for the
kids it’s also nice to meet other kids, to play with the other kids. I think a
bit of this normal life would be great for all of us.”